


Broken Blades

by KeefKartel



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, EventualSmut, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Regreith, gayspaceboys, imwritingthisformyself, klance, planningonmorphingthisintoaklance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-22 01:45:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13156536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeefKartel/pseuds/KeefKartel
Summary: Keith joins the Blade of Marmora, leaving Team Voltron for an indefinite amount of time. He begins to form a bond with one of his only consistent partners, Regris. They get to know each other more and more but just as things seem to be turning out for the best, a tragic event occurs and Keith finds himself going back to Team Voltron to be comforted whereupon he finds the arms of Lance waiting for him.





	1. Brothers of the Blade

**Author's Note:**

> This is written in the context of the show and in the pretense that Keith joined the Blade sooner than he did on the actual show. Also, I'm sorry if its kind of a bad start, I get anxious to write the parts I want to.

Keith had been working full time with the Blade for a couple months now with Kolivan and Regris as his only consistent partners. Since Keith and Regris were initiated around the same time they were placed in the same room. This arrangement was originally a bit awkward with them not knowing anything about the other but after mission after mission spent together the ice between them thawed and they were able to talk easily.

“Man, that was exhilarating. I know that Kolivan says we shouldn’t be having fun but every mission we succeed in is another boost to my mood.” Keith says this with a smile on his face after getting out of the shower. His hair is curling slightly from being wet and he has some oversized clothes thrown on that he still had from the Castle. He plops onto his bed which sits across the room from Regris where he sits on his bed as well.

“I agree. I was scared I would be left behind as a computer technician but I feel more useful in the Blade than I have in my entire life. I feel like I am truly making headway in the war with this group.” He has a small smile on his lips and Keith returns it while nodding.

“Yeah. I mean I came from Voltron so it's just one helpful organization to another but I was drawn to the Blade, it felt like the right thing to do. Of course, there were a lot of other things that helped me make the decision but it just felt so natural.” Regris nods in agreement and leans back against the wall. 

“Do you ever miss them? Your friends from Voltron, I mean.” His tone has grown serious and Keith could tell he had debated even asking the question. He leans back, mirroring Regris, and looks to the ceiling to deliberate. He has been thinking about them a lot recently, but he knew his answer. 

“Of course I do. Being with them constantly was different than anything I had had on Earth; it felt like I finally had a family. It still does, of course, it's almost like I’m homesick, but I know what I chose was right for me and for them. And it's not like I never see them, we do corresponding missions constantly, but I will admit that it's weird knowing that I can’t just talk with everyone here like I could there.” Keith looks over to see Regris looking at the ceiling now. His face is a mask, Keith had used that method enough to know what it looked like, but he didn’t want to push anything that didn’t want to be talked about. Eventually, Regris looks at him with a small, sad smile. 

“It must have been nice.” His raspy voice held no malice behind it, just longing and then he continues before Keith could respond.

“It’s getting late and we need to rest as much as possible between missions. Goodnight Keith.” He lays down, clearly closing the conversation for the night. Keith frowns, sad that Regris hadn’t shared anything in return when he obviously had something to say, but he also understood where he was coming from. If he didn’t feel like sharing then that was his business, not Keith's. 

Keith lay as well, closing his eyes and gently falling asleep. He wakes up the next morning to a loud beeping that he had grown accustomed to: the call to a new mission. He looks at the clock to see he had gotten a good six hours of sleep before being roused. Rubbing his eyes he looks across the room to see Regris stretching. They share a tired, knowing smile between them before standing and quickly suiting up. After a quick check over each other to see that they have everything they run to meet Kolivan in the airlock and load into the pod. 

“This mission is purely for intelligence. Make combat quick and quiet if the problem arises. This is a lesser known outpost that just received a large shipment if concentrated quintessence but it hasn’t yet gotten the same security that the others have. If said security arrives while we are here it an automatic mission abort no matter how far we got. We can’t be caught here with a whole fleet surrounding us. Understood?” His voice is serious, as it always is, and held no emotion except for underlying anger that waited to be quenched. He knows that the anger wasn’t directed at him, it’s towards the empire, but that doesn’t stop Keith from feeling intimidated. 

Both Keith and Regris nod, signaling that they understand the command and then the three sit in silence. This is Keith’s least favorite part about being in the Blade: the silence. When he was Voltron they were always talking, always planning or running over the plan multiple times, but not here. The pod ride to the mission was always silent, no matter how long it was, but maybe that was just a side effect of always being on missions with Kolivan. This silence always ate away at Keith’s nerves, making him start second-guessing his confidence, and maybe that was the point: to make us find our own confidence and be independent instead of relying on those around him. Whatever the reason, Keith did not like it. 

He enjoyed the feeling of having a team with him, to back him up if he needed it, but the Blade was very self-reliant. Instead of no man left behind, it was every man for himself. That's why he enjoyed that he worked with mostly Regris and Kolivan. He felt lucky that he at least got to work with familiar faces most of the time. 

He looks at Regris who is staring down at the floor, probably trying to run through the plan once more. He has his mask on, as Kolivan and Keith do, but he has been around Regris long enough to know his body language. His hands are clasped tightly in front of him and his leg bounces up and down in an attempt to calm himself. He smiles at a memory of the first time he met Regris outside of a mission and being flabbergasted at the sight, even though he had been around aliens for a while it still shocked him how different some of them could look. Regris was no exception.  
Obvious features that showed despite him wearing the suit were his tail, which was practically another limb for him, and his hands, which each only had four fingers. Features that were only visible out of his suit were things like his lack of a nose and eyebrows and how his eyes had no visible iris or pupil but he claimed he could still see perfectly fine. Keith had even caught sight of a slightly forked tongue peaking from his lipless mouth one day while they trained. Regris always laughs at Keith for thinking he’s strange when he thinks the same thing about him.

Keith is drawn from his memory by Kolivan’s voice announcing that they have arrived. He stands and silently moves towards the door, preparing himself for departure. He takes a deep breath before jumping into open space like the two other men had just done seconds before him. They all glided through the air like birds, landing safely in position. Once they land they run across the surface of the enemy base, their shoes suctioning to the side and keeping them from flying off. As Keith runs he drops energy trackers and at the touch of a button they latch into the building and begin reading the energy levels. They all meet near the back of the base after running the entire length of it, Keith being seconds behind the others because of his smaller physique. 

Once there, they found a service hatch to crawl into. Regris keeps his eyes on the bio readings and makes note that there are more Galra stationed here than previously recorded.

“Their log says that many of the soldiers here were signed in just a few vargas ago.” He looks to Kolivan for further guidance. Keith looks at him as well and he answers with no hesitation. 

“As long as there are no more cruisers outside the mission is a go. Just remember to keep out of sight, if they have already upped personnel then the cruisers must be coming soon.” They both nodded and then proceeded to go their separate ways. Keith had been given the job to find the quintessence and read its energy levels but on his way, he heard two guards talking about the back up the Blade was so desperately trying to avoid. 

“Yeah all those Cruisers are going to be here soon and then our life is going to be a living hell. Having to deal with all those wannabe generals coming into our base and trying to act like they are better than us.” The guard on the right was very irritated, not even taking the time to hold his gun at the ready. Keith watches them, ready to attack at any time. The other guard sighs heavily.

“When exactly are they supposed to arrive? And how long are they going to stay?” Keith begins recording them to have intel for Kolivan. 

“They should be getting here within the varga and won’t be leaving until this quintessence is used or shipped somewhere else. Who knows how long that will be though.” Keith’s eyes widen at how quickly they say the backup will arrive. He sends the recording to Kolivan and awaits a response, not daring to speak with the guards directly below him now. They continue to complain until their voices drift with distance around the corner. 

“Kolivan? What should our line of action be?”

“Immediate departure. If they could show up at any time within the varga then we need to leave now. Meet back at the service hatch.” Keith internally sighed at having to abort but he knew it was the right thing to do. Besides he had to think of their safety as well as his, that's how his mind was wired. So with no retaliation, he worked his way carefully back to the hatch where Kolivan was waiting. 

“Where is Regris?” He looked around to see if he was maybe behind the other Blade. 

“I don’t know but we leave soon, with or without him.” Though Keith had heard this plenty of times since joining the Blades, this time it rubbed him the wrong way. Regris was one of the best technicians Keith had worked with and to think of Kolivan throwing away that potential made him angry. Just as he was about to say something, Regris turned the corner.

“I’m sorry for the delay. I was recording more intel about-”

“I said retreat. You disobeyed me.” Regris looked at him for a moment and then nodded. 

“Yes, sir. I apologize.” His head ducks and Kolivan leads them out and back to the pod, quick and silent. Just as they were out of range the cruisers arrived at the base and Keith’s eyes widen at how close they had been. He looked over to see Regris staring at the newly arrived cruisers as well and he wished he had the balls to break the silence, but he didn’t. Not with Kolivan in their presence, at least. Soon enough they arrive back at the home base of the Blades. Keith goes to his and Regris’ shared room while Regris gets pulled behind Kolivan for a lecture. 

Keith sat in his room alone for quite a while before Regris walked in, still in his armor. He sits down on his bed and Keith bites his lip before speaking up.

“Hey, I’m sorry yo-”

“Don’t worry. I disobeyed orders and got punished, as expected.” He shut Keith down quickly, waving his hands. He lifts his head and his mask disappears to reveal a small smile. Keith could see some kind of pain behind it though. He walks over to Regris and sits beside him.  
“What exactly did he say to you?” He didn’t want to pry but he was also curious. 

“It’s nothing important just...just stuff about my past, that's all.” He shook his head but Keith wasn’t having that. 

“Really? I’m pretty sure ninety-nine percent of the Blade has some kind of past and he really uses that against you guys?” He was furious. He thought about all the members he had met so far already and all the members he still had yet to meet. It infuriated him that Kolivan would stoop so low with the people who were supposed to help him in this near impossible war. His hands clenched and he was about to continue his ranting when he heard a small noise from beside him. His head quickly turned to see Regris with his head down once again, tears falling into his lap. 

“Regris?” His anger drifted away to be resurfaced at a different, more appropriate time, and his whole body softened. He reached out slowly to pay Regris on the back but he moved away. Keith dropped his hand to his side again.

“I just...I don’t understand why he does it. We are supposed to trust him and work on making the universe a safer, happier place but he makes me feel so...so…” he shakes his head and gulps before continuing, “ So evil. Almost like I can never redeem myself for what I’ve done in the past.” His voice cracks some as he talks and he lets his head fall once more into his hands. When Keith puts his hand on his back this time he doesn’t move, save the jerking of his sobs.

“But you can. You are working hard to make what our blood has done to this universe vanish, and you aren’t alone in that battle. We are all right there alongside you.” He gives a small smile but it seems to do little to ease Regris’ weeping.

“You don’t understand, Keith. I’ve done terrible things in my past and I want to be able to repent for those things but Kolivan is making it impossible.” He throws his hands up in frustration and gets up to pace. 

“I wish I had known that Kolivan would be like this. I would have tried harder to join the rebels instead of the Blade. Is that wrong to say?” He looks to Keith as if he may hold the key. Keith stands and shrugs.

“I don’t know, Regris. They may have respected you more but I honestly can’t say that with certainty. At this point, the Blade may be the only way a galra can redeem themselves. The rebels just wouldn’t trust you enough. I’m sorry.” He puts a hand on Regris’ shoulder and he nods. 

“You’re right. I guess I should just be happy that I am getting a chance to help at all. Especially after what I did.” He sighs in defeat and sits down again. Keith sits beside him and debates on whether or not to dig further. He knows this is obviously a tricky topic but he wants to help and he feels like he has to know what happened then to help now. Before Keith can ask though Regris speaks.

“I was higher up in the galra hierarchy. I was practically a general in training but they couldn’t trust me enough to bump me up and I guess that's good on them. I was working my way up the ladder to tear it down from the inside but I guess I wasn’t good enough at faking it. They put me through trials, to test my loyalty…” His voice starts to crack and Keith rubs his back. Regris puts his head in his hands and shakes his head before continuing. 

“I had to kill so many innocent people. I should have gotten out sooner but I had convinced myself that I would be a more valuable member of the blade if I could tear the empire down from the inside. I was so stupid.” He breaks down and wraps his tail around himself. Keith didn’t know whether to hug him or leave him alone but when Regris leans against him he wraps his arms around him without hesitation.

“They had me personally kill them, Keith. I was an executioner and sometimes-,” his voice breaks as a sob breaks through, “sometimes they made me drag it out. I had to endure their screams for hours upon hours and pretend to enjoy it. Those sadistic monsters…” He continues to cry and Keith rubs his back, shushing him a bit, trying to calm him down. 

They remain that way for a long time, rocking slowly until Regris is just hiccuping a bit. Keith lays him down, intending to go back to his bed, but Regris doesn’t let go so he lays there with him. They both fall asleep like that, holding the other.


	2. Reassembly Required

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regris gets injured severely and Keith awaits his friend to be well again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Name: Saved by the Blade
> 
> Whatever I end up naming this chapter will never be as great as that but I thought it would be better to name it something that isn't a joke. 
> 
> Also, it's my baby boy Hunks birthday!!

The next day Keith wakes up to wrapped not only in Regris’ arms but his tail as well and his head is in the aliens chest, nuzzled right under his chin. He blushes a bit being so close to him but a yawn breaks into his embarrassment and he leans back to look Regris right in the eyes. 

“Hello.” His raspy voice croaks out. He yawns again and stretches his arms, freeing Keith who takes the opportunity to sit up. He moves to get up but his legs are still wrapped up in the tail and his motion only makes him topple over and onto the ground. Over his groans, he can hear Regris break into laughter and he pulls his tail back.

“I’m sorry, Keith,” he manages between laughs, “I didn’t know I had wrapped that around you. Are you okay?” His head peeks over the edge of the bed and he has a small smile adorning his face. His eyes are wide with amusement and Keith can’t help but laugh a little as he sits upon the ground. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I’ve had worse happen to me.” He runs a hand through his bedhead and yawns. 

“We don’t have any missions planned for today. Do you want to go get breakfast?” He throws his legs over the side of the bed and stretches his arms forward between his legs. 

“Yeah, might as well while we have the chance.” Because of constant missions, both planned and unplanned, meals were often cut short or missed completely. This is another thing that Keith wished were more like Team Voltron. There, a meal was always guaranteed. He sighs and stands to stretch before moving to get new clothes. Regris does the same and after they’re both dressed they head down to the cafeteria. 

They grab their food and sit at a table near the doors. The room is relatively bare since most people were either training, out on missions, or sleeping. The people that were there sat alone at their respective tables in a tired daze. They probably just got done with one of the first two activities mentioned and would kill for the third. Regris and Keith sit in silence so as not to disturb the others. 

Silence does not mean peace however as Regris frequently stole small portions of Keith's food with his tail. Keith glares at him but a small smile is pulling at the edges of his lips. He moves to take a bit of food from his tray but is met with the light whip of his tail. Keith recoils his hand and makes a noise which attracts the attention of the other blade members in the quiet room. Keith glares at Regris and he just sticks his forked tongue out at him. They eat the rest of their food in peace.

Once done with their food they make their way to the training deck but are interrupted before they arrive. The bracelets on their wrists flash meaning Kolivan has a mission for them and they are needed immediately. They quickly go back to their room and change before heading to the hangar where Kolivan stands.

“Keith. Regris.” he nods with their names and they nod back as they climb into the pod they will be taking. Keith cracks his knuckles, a nervous habit he had thought he had broken long ago. He shakes his hands out and then looks to Kolivan as he starts detailing out the mission.

“We have found another outpost with a large amount of concentrated quintessence. It's in the median sector so it won’t take long to get to but we will have to board a galra cruiser to gain access so prepare yourselves.” And with that, the briefing is over and the silence falls. It isn’t as bad today though as Kolivan is right and it takes mere minutes to reach the cruiser they will board.  
They board it easily and Kolivan explains that once they make it to the base there should be no disturbances. If any of them gets seen it is an immediate out. They nod and the mission goes on. Keith finds the quintessence and starts sending the signals that he is getting.

“These readings are higher than anything I have ever seen…” His voice holds wonder and a tinge of fear. He is also receiving information from Regris who has hacked into the mainframe of the base. 

As Keith stands there a sentry spots him and starts shooting, ending the mission quickly. When Keith makes it back to the pod and sees Regris isn’t there his mind panics as it thinks back to just the night before. He thinks of all the things Regris wanted to do and he runs back for him, seeing his location on his map. Kolivan sets the escape pod to launch in 30 seconds. 

Keith races to Regris’ location where he is collapsed on the ground with guard quickly approaching. He dodges their shots at him and picks Regris up, adrenaline pumping through him and giving him the strength to carry the bigger man. He sprints back to the pod, jumping through the door just before it closes. He props Regris against the wall as the pod shoots off from the base.  
Kolivan is obviously upset with him and Keith has a feeling this may be the first transport with him that is void of silence. 

“Will he be alright?” He asks, ignoring the anger he senses in the mannerisms of the other. Kolivan steps closer and looms over him.

“You broke protocol.” His voice holds authority. This aggravates Keith to no end and his temper starts rising.

“I had to.” His mask dissipates from his face as his anger begins to surface. He wasn’t about to leave Regris behind.

“You didn’t consider that something could have happened to you. That would make two men down instead of one. Every member of the Blade of Marmora understands that the mission is more important than the individual. This isn’t Voltron.” Keith looks at him with a glare. Of course, he knew that was how the blade worked and this obviously was not Voltron. He didn’t need the reminder.

“I understand that. In Voltron, we would have gone back in to save Regris. I went back to save the mission.” He lies smoothly. Obviously, he went back to save Regris, the ideals of being in Voltron had not left him. He wasn’t about to tell Kolivan that though, it would lead nowhere good. He holds up the drive that Regris was using.

“Regris had the intel. Getting him and it back on the ship was worth the risk.” Keith lays the drive in Kolivan’s hand and walks past him, feeling the eyes of the other boring into his back.

They made their way back to the base where Regris was immediately taken to the infirmary. Days pass and missions come and go before Regris is well enough to talk. Keith goes to see him and he gets a small smile when he walks in.

“Hey, Keith. It’s been awhile.” His normally hoarse voice was made worse by his the fact that he hadn’t been awake for long. Keith goes to him and sits down, not knowing exactly what to say but wanting to stay by his side.

“Thank you for coming back for me. I’m sure Kolivan chewed you out for it.” He begins to cough and Keith shakes his head and puts a hand over his to stop him.

“No. I told him I went back for the intel, which wasn’t entirely a lie but it wasn’t the whole truth either.” He shrugs and Regris laughs a little, his head leaning back on his pillow. 

“That was pretty smart of you. You kept me alive and saved the mission. I’m proud.” He says it in an off-handed way but Keith takes it to heart. He looks at his friend laying there and smiles before leaning down to hug him. He feels Regris freeze in surprise before a rumble comes from his torso and his arms snake their way around Keith.

“Get better faster dammit.” Keith shares a laugh with Regris before they break apart.

“I’m healing as fast as I can. I’ll be back out there with you before you know it.” He smiles lightly and Keith nods. 

“Good. Now get some rest.” Regris nods and closes his eyes. Keith lingers for just a second before leaving once again. He goes to his room and lays down. Sighing, he grabs his knife and looks at it, thinking about how much his life has changed because of it and in general how far he had come.

He thinks about a mission he had been on with Kolivan recently, one where they were working right beside Voltron. He kept his distance from the paladins as much as he could but there was a moment where he walked by him that really got to him. 

He was with Kolivan when they passed the paladins handing out supplies to refugees. He stopped and gave them all a once over before his eyes fell on Lance. The smile on that boy's face was incredible. Really, after all this hardship he could still look those people and the eyes and smile. He turned away, his mask forming once again, and continued after Kolivan.

Keith sighs at the memory and thinks about how well they seem to be functioning without him. Of course, he knew they would, that him piloting the black lion was just dragging them down, but he hadn’t expected to see it so plainly. He misses them more than he was allowing himself to realize and the thought of Lance’s smile is what allows small tears to leak from the sides of his eyes.

He wished he could have been a good enough leader for them. The look on their faces when he said he was leaving was too relieved for him to not be hurt. Of course, there was the sadness of him leaving but he could see how happy they were for him to not be leading. He could tell that they didn’t need him anymore. He allows himself to cry for just a little longer before pulling himself together and quickly falling asleep afterward.

After a few more weeks Keith comes back from a mission and walks into his room to see Regris sitting there. He audibly gasps before a smile spreads across his face and Regris meets him as he runs towards him. Their arms immediately wrap around each other and squeeze. They stay like that for a few minutes before either of them speaks.

“Oh wow...How long have you been back? I know this last mission took a couple days…” Keith pulls away but keeps his hands on his waist, looking him up and down for any signs of damage left. Regris laughs and ruffles his hair a bit.

“I just got back a while ago so don’t worry. You didn’t miss anything special.” Keith immediately hits him on the arm lightly.

“Like hell, I didn’t miss anything important. You got back after being out of commission. I would say that's important.” He smiles up at him and Regris sits down. Keith follows suit and sits next to him.

“So did I miss anything exciting? I heard you worked with your friends in my absence.” Keith nods and puts on a sad smile. 

“Yeah. It was nice to see them again. We didn’t talk though. Both of us were busy and all…” He looks down and he feels Regris’ hand lightly clasp his shoulder. He looks at him and sees a small frown spreading across his face.

“Keith. You and I both know you had a perfect opportunity to talk with them again, or at least say hello. Why didn’t you?” He has genuine concern coating his voice and Keith looks down.

“I...I just know they’re better off without me. It's best if they just move on and never see me again. Like ripping off a band-aid.” He isn’t sure if Regris will understand his comparison but since he shakes his head he assumes he gets the gist of it.

“Keith. They care about you. They aren’t better off if all they do is worry about you while you’re gone. I know you miss them and I know they miss you too. You were their leader after all, even if it was-” Keith cuts him off with a look that could kill.

“I wasn’t their leader. I was some knock-off wannabe of one. I was a temporary replacement.” Keith stands and crosses his arms. He doesn’t want to get into this right now, especially since he just got his friend back, but he also knew Regris wouldn’t let it go. 

“Whether or not you were temporary isn’t the issue. You were chosen for a reason. It's not like you chose it. It chose you because it knows you were the right choice.” He gets up and puts a hand on Keith's shoulder but he shrugs it off quickly.

“You didn’t see the look in their eyes when I told them I was leaving. The relief that was clear as fucking day. They tried to hide it but I had already seen it flash across their faces.” He is looking at the corner but Regris gently grabs his chin and turns it towards him.

“Keith. Are you sure you saw relief on their faces? Or did your eyes trick you so that leaving was easier.” His voice is quiet, trying to calm Keith down and despite its slightly gravelly tone, it works. Keith looks at him and Regris opens his arms. Keith goes into them, smashing his face into the other's chest. 

“I didn’t want to leave them but I had to. I was only making everything worse. I couldn’t lead because my head was too far up my ass in search of Lotor. I was only going to get them hurt.” He wraps his arms around Regris. He sits them down and wraps his tail around him.

“You are a good leader, I’ve seen the potential in you myself, but it was just the wrong time. Trust me, you were meant to lead something great.” His tail wraps a blanket around Keith's shoulder and he keeps an arm around him as well. 

“How can you be so sure of me?” He is surprised at how confident Regris is saying all of this.

“Well...you remind me of a friend I used to have back then. He was good at keeping his teammates alive and getting the job done. He was very loyal.” Regris rubs his back and gives him a small smile. Keith smiles back.

“He sounds like a great guy. You really think I’m able to lead that well?” Keith looks up and sees Regris nodding. 

“I know you can. You were just thrown into it at the wrong time. I bet they weren’t relieved. They were probably sad to see you go after working with you as long as they have.” He pats his back and then pulls Keith into his side. 

“Thanks, Regris. I really appreciate hearing that. Maybe one day I’ll be the leader I supposedly am but I hope it never comes to that. I hope this whole shitshow ends before it gets to that point.” Regris nods and then yawns. Keith chuckles and gently lays him down. 

“Go to sleep. They may say you are completely healed but it can’t hurt for you to rest a bit more.” He goes to walk towards his bed but Regris had wrapped his tail around his ankle, causing him to fall. Keith stands and points a finger at him.

“You did that on purpose you ass. Don’t even try to defend yourself.” He doesn’t try, as told, and just starts laughing mercilessly. Keith can’t help but chuckle with him and goes to his bed. He lays down and they both turn their lights out.

“I’m really glad you’re back Regris,” Keith says into the dark after a while, thinking the other was asleep.

“It’s good to be back.” Keith could hear the smile in his friend’s voice. He slowly falls asleep and later Regris crawls in next to Keith so he can sleep as well. 

Kolivan walks in to inform them of new intel but is met with them intertwined. He leaves without a word, their closeness mentally noted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scratch what I said at the beginning. The title I came up with was clever and a homage to the actual show's second episode so whatevs. I'm gonna keep the first note though because I still like my first idea.
> 
> Edit: I WAS JUST REWATCHING THE FIRST EPISODE AND I MADE KEITH SAY THE SAME THING TO REGRIS AS HE DID TO SHIRO. IM CRYING.


	3. Turmoil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy the chapter. I apologize in advance for your hearts being ripped out. Turns out the hurt/comfort tag is because I'm hurt and need comforting XD. Also, this is the longest chapter so far. I'm proud of myself for crossing the 3,000-word mark. That may not sound like a lot to some people but its a lot for me XD.

Keith is hidden behind cover, bullets whizzing over his head as he ducks down. His breath is heavy with adrenaline at how close he had been to dying; he would never truly get used to being on the brink of death. 

Despite this, he took a deep breath to steady himself as much as possible and ran towards his attackers. He closes the distance quickly and slices through the sentry closest to his position. Pivoting on his heel he stabs through the next one and kicks the one rushing him square in the chest before sinking his blade into his head. 

Retrieving his blade, he makes quick work of the remaining two sentries in the room. He runs down the corridors as quietly as possible to not draw attention to himself. Two guards pass him as he presses against the wall, thankfully oblivious to the siege on their ship. After they are gone he makes his way to the command deck where he meets Regris at the door. Their mission was to take control of the Command Deck and turn off the communication between guards and the power keeping the sentries operational. The two blades nod to each other before peeking into the room to assess the challenge ahead of them. 

The room was surprisingly emptier than expected, being occupied by only two guards and the captain of the vessel. The galra at the controls was audibly giving commands to guards throughout the ship in a cold, demanding growl.

“We will be arriving to our destination within the varga, prepare for landing.” His fingers are gliding over the controls with ease that only years of practice could give, and his voice never wavered. Keith and Regris sneak into the room, silent as feathers, and strangle the guards in sync. Once their respective guards cease struggling the two operatives make their way toward the captain. Keith takes the lead and drives a needle deep into the commander's neck, sending a tranquilizer straight into his bloodstream; he is out within seconds.

Regris slides up to the controls and his fingers move just as fast and easy as the commanders. Keith is at the door, watching their backs and making sure the mission is not compromised. Kolivan had recently gotten on their asses about not focusing on the mission above their emotions and had even threatened to separate them, no matter how well they worked together. Keith had bristled at the thought as he had grown quite attached to Regris’ presence and he wasn’t keen to letting that slip through his hands without a fight. He had had enough people drop out of his life for several reasons, he didn’t need another one. 

“Are we still clear?” Regris asks over the coms to Kolivan. They were only to go through the plan completely if Squad A had succeeded in their part in positioning without a hitch. He gets and affirmative and one more button press sends the sound of many sentries falling to the ground in union. It was now time to join Squad A to assist in information gathering and taking down any guards that may cause problems.

**********

They arrive back at the main base after the mission tired but happy.

“That was such a rush, to work with so many people and to have it go well.” Keith looks back at Regris as he walks towards the cafeteria. He was in the act of taking his helmet off land when he looked up at him he had a smile that spread from ear to ear. 

“Yeah, its always nice to have a proper team. That’s why I like working with you all the time.” He catches Keith under his arm and ruffles his hair. Keith laughs and pushes against his side, but he doesn’t mind the contact. It reminds him of the friends that were always shown in movies and makes him happy to think he was that person now; he was the movie character. 

“Oh, then this is kind of awkward…I kind of hate seeing you all the time.” He teases, but a small part of him worries that it will be taken seriously, and he peeks to check Regris’ face. He finds him laughing and he relaxes once again as they make it to the mess hall. They grab their food and make their way to the place where they usually eat. After a few minutes of them just taking in the moment to relax Keith breaks the silence. 

“But really I do like working with you. Like you said familiar faces are nice to have, especially in a war like this. I appreciate Kolivan being understanding and not splitting us.” He looks up to see Regris nodding. 

“I appreciate it too, but we need to be careful. Kolivan isn’t known for his compassion. He will split us if he has to.” He truly sounds sad at the thought and Keith must resist moving to his side land hugging him. He instead puts a hand on the others and speaks confidently.

“Don’t worry. We won’t give him any more reasons for a split. We make too good of a team, after all.” They exchange a small smile and continue eating. When they both finish Regris stands and stretches, his arms over his head. 

“Hey Keith, would you like to go train with me? The robots just aren’t good enough competition anymore.” He looks down at a surprised Keith and smiles a little. Keith stands and nods after he pulls himself together and they head towards the training deck. On the way Keith really looks at Regris and notices his much taller stature and muscle definition. This didn’t worry him, as he had fought people bigger than him before and knew how to use it against them, but it did make him glad to be on the same side. 

They arrive at the training deck and get into position to duel, each grabbing their blades as they elongate into swords. Keith watches as Regris gets into stance and follows suit, noticing that the other is much more relaxed. This should probably worry him but, not wanting to show any kind of fear or worry, he charges forward for the first blow. 

Regris is there waiting for the first swing to come and when it does he meets it with his own blade, pushing back to get enough space to make his own move. Keith doesn’t allow this though, and immediately goes in close again and even goes to kick Regris’ legs out from beneath him. This is unsuccessful and gets him pulled away. Regris wastes no time and rushes for him, quickly tackling Keith to the ground. Keith uses his momentum to get them rolling and hops up and ready to strike once more. 

“And here I thought this would be an easy win.” He teases as he stands, still on guard. He watches Keith as they move slowly in a circle. Keith scoffs.

“You should know me better by now, Regris. Nothing with me involved is ever easy.” He charges before the other can answer and Regris must quickly duck as Keith’s blade whistles where his head had been just seconds before. Regris quickly backs out of the immediate conflict and whips his tail out, knocking Keith to his feet before pinning him to the ground. He twists Keith’s wrist until he drops the blade and sits on his chest to keep him pinned. They pant from the exertion and after a few moments their eyes meet. 

“I guess I underesti-“ His words are cut off by Regris’ lips pressed to his. Keith’s eyes go wide initially but as the kiss goes on he softly kisses back, and his eyes drift closed. He doesn’t know how long they continue this way, just that when the kiss does break they are both panting for air. Keith’s head tilts back and Regris leans his forward to lightly rest on Keith’s shoulder. 

As soon as they catch their breath they are locked in yet another kiss, one that sends warmth from Keith’s heart, his very being, to the rest of his body. Regris had loosened his grip while catching his breath which allows Keith to wrap his arms around the others neck. A clawed hand tangles itself into Keith’s hair as their tongues glide over the others and soft noises are emitted from both parties. When Keith begins to wrap a leg around Regris’ he breaks away leaving them both panting and the smaller whining lightly. 

“Regris…?” He pants out, looking him in the eye and not getting the same in return. Regris sighs and leans down, his head resting on Keith’s shoulder again.

“We shouldn’t do this…” His raspy voice whispers into Keith’s ear. Keith tries to protest but its cut off by Regris continuing and pulling away, hovering over Keith. 

“No. Kolivan is already grasping for excuses to separate us. If we really care this deeply than just being by one another’s side will have to be enough. Besides, this is war. We can’t let these emotions overrun our judgement.” He sounds solemn, his mind obviously made up. 

“So, I’m just supposed to forget what just happened!? Forget what that made me…. what that made us both feel?” The rejection burned in Keith’s chest. This always seemed to happen. This was the reason he had walls up, why he didn’t open up to people. 

“Yes. For me. For both of us.” He stares into Keith’s betrayal filled eyes before slowly rising and moving towards the door. Their eyes meet once more before he leaves Keith laying there on the training room floor. Keith stays in the training bay until his is about to collapse from fatigue, at which point he stumbles into his shared room with Regris and passes out, not even changing out of his clothes.

**********

Absolute zero is the only way Keith could describe the iciness that had formed between him and Regris. Every time he looked at the other, another icicle speared through his heart and he had to turn away. He had never had to be around those who had broken his heart; they had all left him physically. Regris had left him emotionally and now Keith couldn’t tell which one hurt him more.

If there was one upside to this, it was that Kolivan had finally stopped threatening to split them apart. He even seemed pleased at the sudden drop of emotional attachment, no matter what the reason was. Emotions are luxuries we cannot afford, after all. 

Missions went on as usual and Keith couldn’t help but see that they were indeed being more efficient. More missions were going without detection by the Galra and less people visited the infirmary. Deep down Keith knew that this wasn’t all due to his and Regris’ distance but that didn’t keep him from thinking about it that way. He took it as a sign that maybe he was just meant to be along; things were easier that way. 

Keith trained practically every day which he knew was just an escape from a confrontation with Regris, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He was never good at talking with people, especially when it was to fix a problem, so he was at a lose of what he would say even if he was given the chance. Being in the room where it ended didn’t keep his mind as distracted as he would have liked but it was the best place he could think of. 

Weeks passed, it may have even been a full month before this backfired on him. He is training when he hears the doors open. He assumes its Kolivan coming to tell him to take a rest, that he shouldn’t be exhausting himself on training bot. The elder member had noticed this worrying habit and has been checking up on him to make sure he doesn’t run himself into the ground.

“Look Kolivan, I haven’t been in here that long. I just ate so I have enough ener-“ He turns and sees Regris just staring at him. His face is void of emotion, but his stance shows that he is tense. 

“What do you want?” The bite Keith hears in his own voice sends regret through him, but it’s too late to take it back now; Regris was already responding.

“I’ve heard that you’ve been training yourself to the bone, but I didn’t want to believe it. Keith you can’t let what happened between us-“ Regris is cut off by Keith scoffing. 

“This isn’t about us, Regris,” Keith says the name with venom in his voice, “I have other problems besides you. You led me on for a second, I’m not going to go full Victorian, ‘woe is me’ just because you kissed me and left.” He was lying through his teeth, but it didn’t matter. All Keith cared about right now was looking Regris in the eyes to solidify the ice between them. He knew the only way he was going to get through this was to break it off completely; that’s the only way he knew how to deal with personal conflicts.

“You and I both know that’s bullshit. I know you have other things to worry about, so do I, but they never bothered you before. Not to this extent. Just sit and talk with me for a bit…” His voice was soft and inviting despite its raspy undertone. Keith finally realized what was so familiar about his voice: it was the soft rattle a snake gave before its final blow.

“I don’t really feel like talking. If you need the training room then its all yours. I’m going to talk to Kolivan.” He starts towards the door and hears Regris walk behind him.

“Keith c’mo-“

“No Regris. Just…let it go.” He looks at him, the pain he really felt finally coming to the surface. Regris drops the hand that had been reaching towards him. Keith walks out of the room without another word from either party.

He hadn’t planned on talking to Kolivan before that interaction, but he know realized that he had to. He had to cut Regris out of his life as completely as possible and that meant he had to request a room change. He had to request to be on missions without Regris as much as possible. 

Keith found Kolivan very easily. He spent all his time on base in the strategy room; he even slept in there. The taller was standing and currently looking at the map of different bases. He was hesitant to break his concentration, but it appeared to be too late as Kolivan peered over his shoulder at Keith. 

“What is it, Keith?” He sounded tense but open to conversation. He started towards the door and motioned for Keith to follow him. Keith follows the instruction as he talks. 

“I was wondering if there was another room that I could move into? I don’t know if you have noticed but some ice has developed between me and Regris that I would like to cut off and the only way I can do that is to separate from the problem. I would also like to avoid being assigned with him as much as possible. Working with him won’t cause any problems but it would make it easier to focus on the task at hand.” He looked at Kolivan, trying to preemptively gauge how he would react. Kolivan nods before sighing.

“Alright, Keith. I will consider it, but I need you to really think about this as well. You two work very well together and I would hate to lose the confidence you both bring to the team.” His voice held sincerity. This is the first time Keith has heard Kolivan sound earnestly concerned about any kind of emotions, even if it was just for mission security. Keith snaps out of his thoughts as he realizes the other is still speaking. 

“Your pondering will have to wait until a later time, though. I have you both scheduled for a mission within the varga and I don’t have time to find replacements. I hope you weren’t training yourself to exhaustion today; you’ll need the energy.”

**********

Keith enters the transportation ship they would be taking to the mission where Regris is sitting and ready to go. They exchange no words and sit opposite each other as Kolivan briefs them on what exactly they are going to do. It’s another communication dismantling mission and should be relatively easy, which Keith was thankful for. The faster they got back from the mission, the sooner he could talk to Kolivan and transfer to another room. 

They arrive to the base undetected and at once go for the communication center. This base is smaller than the other ones and is only armed with a few actual guards; the rest of the crew was sentries. 

Keith and Regris arrive at the command center at the same time but don’t acknowledge one another. Instead, Keith rushes in and is immediately face to face with three guards. He was normally prepared for such attacks, with larger groups even, but his name called out by Regris gives the guards the opening they need while he hesitates. Before he knows what hit him, Keith is on the ground with a gun pointed directly at his head. 

Instinctively he looks to the door to see Regris peering in. He realized that he could very easily die right here. This was the first time he had been in any actual danger since his and Regris’ distance began, and it terrified him to think that Regris could just leave him. Hell, Kolivan would probably encourage it if he were there. Another terrifying thought: Keith had no idea how much Regris held grudges. He felt the adrenaline kick into his system as the other guards surrounded him. 

The guards were teasing him. He could hear them talking but his brain couldn’t comprehend what it was that they were saying. It was too concentrated on trying to find a way out of the situation. He could kick the one with the gun, the more immediate threat, and then go from there but if he couldn’t get the guard to the ground then he was dead. He could try to go for the gun but one wrong move in that plan and he was still dead. Before his brain could figure out what it wanted to do a scream interrupted the guards taunting. Keith looked toward the door to see Regris running from his cover and towards the guards. 

“YOU GET AWAY FROM HIM!” Keith was surprised by the sheer loudness of Regris’ voice but welcomed the distraction. He kicked his legs up and toppled the guard which gave him the opportunity to kick the gun away. His head swung around to see Regris fighting a guard, but he had lost sight of the third one. Just as he was going to look for him an arm snaked around his throat and closed his windpipe. His hands clawed at the arm crushing his throat and kicked his legs as he is pulled up and off the floor. He vaguely feels his hair being pulled and a voice commanding something. Everything is becoming blurry and black is tinting the edges of his vision. Despite his body quickly losing its fight he can still feel his hands clawing, desperately trying to free him. He hears loud shouts, what could be a gun being shot, and then everything goes black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize again. If it didn't rip your heart out then maybe it was just because I get emotional easily XD. I hope you liked it regardless of the state of your heart though. Leave a comment if you have anything to say because I do try to answer all comments as soon as I see them.


	4. Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a short one boys, but the next one will be coming soon enough. Next chapter will have happier stuff and it will be longer I promise. I'm sorry for the wait but here you go.

When Keith wakes up and stumbles out of the pod the lights are too bright to bear. He lifts a hand to cover the light as two hands plant on his shoulders to keep him steady. A groan escapes him and he opts to sit down on the floor. The hands that aided him don’t stop him and he feels a presence sit beside him. After a few minutes of continuous blinking his eyes finally adjust and he looks over to see Regris seated beside him.

“Oh great. Just the person I wanted to see.” He scoffs. He can see the pain this brings to Regris’ eyes but the residual pain that couldn’t be fixed by the pod keeps him in a sour mood. His throat aches when he swallows and his stomach is begging to be fed but he doesn’t want to get up just yet. Regris clearly had something to say. 

“I saved you, you know? You would have been killed if I hadn’t been there and you’re lucky I still care about you or I could have just left you there to die.” The malice in his voice is clear, but thin. His voice breaks signaling just how bent out of shape he really is. Keith really doesn’t know how to respond to that and just stays silent. This is apparently the wrong thing to do as it just sets Regris off more. 

“A thank you would be appreciated but I don’t expect that from you. No, you’re Keith who is too caught up in his own world to give a damn about anyone else. I don’t know what I expected to get after waiting for you to wake up. I should have known this was a waste of my time.” He starts to get up but Keith grabs his wrist. He isn’t letting those words be the last said between them. 

“It wasn’t a waste of your time, Regris. I know I can be an asshole and there’s no excuse for it. I am thankful that you saved me as cheap as it may sound now. I really have no good excuse as to why I have been such an ass and I understand if you still want to keep your distan-” Keith’s words are stopped by a strong hand on his mouth. He looks over to see Regris with a determined look in his eyes.

“You may be an ass sometimes but if you think I’m letting you out of my sight long enough to need my saving again then you are not as smart as I gave you credit for.” He pulled his hand away but Keith wanted it to stay. To have someone care about him this much even after he had been so mean was something he never thought he would get to experience. He looks up to see Regris smiling down at him. 

And then his eyes open. It had just been a dream. He figured it had been too good to be true but his subconscious is an evil thing. This room was darker than his dream one but still held the uneasy feeling of being too clean. He looked around, disappointed in not finding the real Regris as his side, and saw that his mind had at least told some truth; he was indeed in a medical bay. This one did not have pods though, that must have been his memories of the castle slipping in. He sits up slowly to test the waters but the only thing that seemed to be wrong with him was a dry throat from what must have been a very long sleep. 

He gets up and stretches, his joints cracking as he tries to remember what could have landed him in the medical bay when everything comes rushing back to him. His eyes scan the room again with new intention. Where was Regris? He started walking without a clear destination, the only thought on his mind was finding out where his friend was. No… they were more than friends. Oh god what had he done. His pace quickens as he becomes more desperate to know that he’s okay, that Regris is alive and well.   
In his desperation he finds a nurse, or someone who could be one, and grasps their shoulders. 

“Where is he? Where’s Regris?” His voice comes out in a rasp and his throat burns. The nurse tries to get him to sit down but he shakes his head furiously and keeps moving down the corridor. He doesn’t have time to sit down and be calm, that couldn’t happen until he found Regris. After stumbling around for what felt like an hour, but was probably five minutes tops, he finds him asleep on a cot looking worse for wear but still breathing.

The relief that washes over him is instantaneous and he sits beside him, finally calmed down. He doesn’t want to wake him up so he settles for resting his head on the side of the bed and holding his hand until he falls back to sleep, dreamless this time.


	5. Update (New Chapter Coming Soon)

Chapter 5 is in process still but I want some input from you guys about stuff that comes after this. 

1\. I'm thinking of ending this soon and not morphing it into klance but writing a different klance fic after it. What do you guys think?

2\. Thats it really but I wanna know what you guys thought of the end of the show. I personally enjoyed it a lot but I know a lot of people are not happy at all. Tell me what you think and we can talk about it :D


End file.
